Friday, May 4, 2007
Last Few Days in London
I don't remember exactly what I did on each of the days, but I do know that I enjoyed my time with my flatmates, packed my belongings, cleaned the flat, went to Westminster Abbey, ate at Las Iguanas on the Thames (amazing happy hour), and took a final. I got almost no sleep before I left because I was up cleaning until 3am, and then had to wake up at 5am for my taxi to Heathrow Airport. It was a bit of a wait at the airport before leaving, but I spent some time eating and shopping with Eugene. On the flight I watched The Illusionist (so good), Catch and Release (ok), and half of Happy Feet (not the target audience). It was the quickest and smoothest flight I have had in a long time, if ever. The 7 hours really flew by (heh). Anyway, if I begin to remember more details about the last few days I will update it here.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Eating Out & Kews Garden
My last weekend in London is finally here, although I hope it will not be the end of my visits but rather the beginning of a new-found confidence as a traveler. For now, I will give way too many details about our meals because that it what we have spent most of our time enjoying.
On Friday, Betsy, Liz, Marilyn, Christine and I went to Tartine in Chelsea for dinner. Tartine is a type of bread for which they are famous, and so we all ordered variations of this. Liz, Betsy and I had the shredded duck with plum sauce, rocket and crisp ginger. Marilyn had the tomato and mozzarella, Christine had the BLT. We all had salads as well, and it was the best lettuce and dressing salad I've had. For desert, Liz and I both had the Banoffi pie which is slices of banana with toffee in a crumble crust. Betsy had the chocolate fondant which took 20 minutes to make and was amazing. We spent 3 hours there and it was such a great atmosphere and so much fun to spend time together.
Yesterday, Betsy, Liz, Marilyn and I tried to eat at Cecconi's at Green Park for brunch but they were already full. We made reservations for today, and decided to eat at a local cafe. Afterward, Betsy and I came back to South Ken to pick up her flowers from Mike before heading out to Kew Gardens.
The Gardens were beautiful and covered 300 acres. We began by squeezing onto the Kew Explorer tram tour around 8 major sites. It was a good tour and helped us to get an idea of what we wanted to walk to afterward. At the end of the tour, we stopped at the Victoria Plaza for cake and water. Then, we walked in the opposite direction past the Palm House, Palace, Climbers and Creepers, Azalea Garden, Minka House, Rhododendron Dell, Bamboo Garden, Thames River, Queen Charlotte's Cottage, down the Cedar Vista to view the Pagoda and then walk to the Waterlilly Pond, Temperate House, and back to Victoria Gate.
Afterward, Betsy, Marilyn and I went to Gourmet Burger Kitchen to get salads for take away. We ate at home and then hung around here the rest of the night.
This morning, we all went back to Cecconi's for our brunch. Marilyn and I both got the french toast, which was amazing; and Betsy and Liz got the salmon and scrambled eggs. We were confused because they do not take walk-ins very much, and they limit reservations, but the restaurant was half-empty at all times. Do they think a bus load of celebrities and models are suddenly going to walk in for brunch? And as Betsy pointed out, it's not like they would eat anyway.
I felt sick at the end of my meal, so I came back to rest. Hopefully, I will feel better throughout the day.
On Friday, Betsy, Liz, Marilyn, Christine and I went to Tartine in Chelsea for dinner. Tartine is a type of bread for which they are famous, and so we all ordered variations of this. Liz, Betsy and I had the shredded duck with plum sauce, rocket and crisp ginger. Marilyn had the tomato and mozzarella, Christine had the BLT. We all had salads as well, and it was the best lettuce and dressing salad I've had. For desert, Liz and I both had the Banoffi pie which is slices of banana with toffee in a crumble crust. Betsy had the chocolate fondant which took 20 minutes to make and was amazing. We spent 3 hours there and it was such a great atmosphere and so much fun to spend time together.
Yesterday, Betsy, Liz, Marilyn and I tried to eat at Cecconi's at Green Park for brunch but they were already full. We made reservations for today, and decided to eat at a local cafe. Afterward, Betsy and I came back to South Ken to pick up her flowers from Mike before heading out to Kew Gardens.
The Gardens were beautiful and covered 300 acres. We began by squeezing onto the Kew Explorer tram tour around 8 major sites. It was a good tour and helped us to get an idea of what we wanted to walk to afterward. At the end of the tour, we stopped at the Victoria Plaza for cake and water. Then, we walked in the opposite direction past the Palm House, Palace, Climbers and Creepers, Azalea Garden, Minka House, Rhododendron Dell, Bamboo Garden, Thames River, Queen Charlotte's Cottage, down the Cedar Vista to view the Pagoda and then walk to the Waterlilly Pond, Temperate House, and back to Victoria Gate.
Afterward, Betsy, Marilyn and I went to Gourmet Burger Kitchen to get salads for take away. We ate at home and then hung around here the rest of the night.
This morning, we all went back to Cecconi's for our brunch. Marilyn and I both got the french toast, which was amazing; and Betsy and Liz got the salmon and scrambled eggs. We were confused because they do not take walk-ins very much, and they limit reservations, but the restaurant was half-empty at all times. Do they think a bus load of celebrities and models are suddenly going to walk in for brunch? And as Betsy pointed out, it's not like they would eat anyway.
I felt sick at the end of my meal, so I came back to rest. Hopefully, I will feel better throughout the day.
Horseback Riding in Wales
Horseback riding at Parc le Breos was amazing. We took the train in to Swansea and then a shuttle late at night. It was so dark we could barely see where the van was going because there were no lights down the long, windy path through the woods to the cottage where we would be staying. We were greeted by an older woman who directed us to our rooms and gave us a late night snack. I shared a room with 5 other girls, including Michal, Joi and Katie who I already knew. The other two girls were from Wheaton College. I had hay in my bed, surprise surprise, and so the woman had to change my sheets. Jonah was given his own huge bedroom in the private area because he was the only boy.
The next morning we woke up early for a large breakfast followed by instruction and riding. My horse was named Rag, and he was a small, white horse typically used for small children. Yes, I am a short, scared horseback rider. In the first few minutes of riding he decided to trot around a corner that dipped. I bumped up and down and up and down violently, my feet nearly fell out of the stirrups and I almost lost the reigns and slipped off the saddle. It was a great experience... Anyway, after about 45 minutes the instructor was able to teach me how to move up and down on Rag as he trots. This was much less painful on my butt, and surely Rag's back. We stopped at the Heritage Centre for lunch. It also has a museum, a puppet show, bumper cars, and various entertainment primarily for children.
After lunch we continued by crossing the street and going down and up a huge hill along the beach. It was very nervewrecking to ride on all the rocks, but Rag was a good sport and didn't trip at all. I tried my best to lean in the right directions so it would be easier on him.
We came back for a big chicken and potato dinner with rhubarb crumble pie and ice cream. Then, we walked back to the beach and played around in the water and sand.
The next morning we decided to walk out to the ancient castle ruins up on a cliff overlooking the beach. It became clear to me at this time that it truly does have the 2nd highest change in tide in the world, at about 30 feet I believe. I barely recognized the beach at high tide because the day before we were so far out. The view from the ruins was beautiful, it was something you would see in a music video. We split in half as some walked down the side of the cliff to the beach and some of us walked back the way we came to see the ancient tomb and cave. Unfortunately, there was a mean dog growling and barking at us as we tried to pass, so some of the girls were brave and walked through, but I was too nervous. Michal waited with me until I saw that the next door neighbors were home. One guy came out with a big stick up to the dog as we walked by.
The tomb and cave were really neat, although I was concerned about wandering around on ancient open tombs and through an old cave. I only walked in a little bit, and we took some pictures.
We walked back to get the shuttle to Walkabout in Swansea for lunch, then we took a bus to Cardiff and switched to the train to London. It was a very different weekend from my others because it was not the sort of rushed tourism that I am used to. There were few sites to see, so we could really take them in. Overall, it was a very peaceful weekend and a wonderful way to (nearly) end the program.
The next morning we woke up early for a large breakfast followed by instruction and riding. My horse was named Rag, and he was a small, white horse typically used for small children. Yes, I am a short, scared horseback rider. In the first few minutes of riding he decided to trot around a corner that dipped. I bumped up and down and up and down violently, my feet nearly fell out of the stirrups and I almost lost the reigns and slipped off the saddle. It was a great experience... Anyway, after about 45 minutes the instructor was able to teach me how to move up and down on Rag as he trots. This was much less painful on my butt, and surely Rag's back. We stopped at the Heritage Centre for lunch. It also has a museum, a puppet show, bumper cars, and various entertainment primarily for children.
After lunch we continued by crossing the street and going down and up a huge hill along the beach. It was very nervewrecking to ride on all the rocks, but Rag was a good sport and didn't trip at all. I tried my best to lean in the right directions so it would be easier on him.
We came back for a big chicken and potato dinner with rhubarb crumble pie and ice cream. Then, we walked back to the beach and played around in the water and sand.
The next morning we decided to walk out to the ancient castle ruins up on a cliff overlooking the beach. It became clear to me at this time that it truly does have the 2nd highest change in tide in the world, at about 30 feet I believe. I barely recognized the beach at high tide because the day before we were so far out. The view from the ruins was beautiful, it was something you would see in a music video. We split in half as some walked down the side of the cliff to the beach and some of us walked back the way we came to see the ancient tomb and cave. Unfortunately, there was a mean dog growling and barking at us as we tried to pass, so some of the girls were brave and walked through, but I was too nervous. Michal waited with me until I saw that the next door neighbors were home. One guy came out with a big stick up to the dog as we walked by.
The tomb and cave were really neat, although I was concerned about wandering around on ancient open tombs and through an old cave. I only walked in a little bit, and we took some pictures.
We walked back to get the shuttle to Walkabout in Swansea for lunch, then we took a bus to Cardiff and switched to the train to London. It was a very different weekend from my others because it was not the sort of rushed tourism that I am used to. There were few sites to see, so we could really take them in. Overall, it was a very peaceful weekend and a wonderful way to (nearly) end the program.
Portfolio Break in South Kensington
I intended to take a short walk before beginning to work on my portfolio again, but instead took a 2-hour tour around South Kensington. I stopped quickly at the V&A Museum on April 15th or 16th, I don't remember which, and it was very different from any other museum I have seen. It is very artifact-driven, and there were large plaster replicas of architecture and artifacts from around the world. I went into the Europe rooms on the first floor to the Cast Courts, Medieval 300-1500, and Renaissance 1400-1600. I went into the John Madejski Garden and then I walked through the Materials and Techniques sculpture rooms. There were some beautiful scupltures of busts and people in here, particularly one of a sculptor's daughter. There was also a striking statue of Truth tearing out the tongue of Falsehood.
Then, I walked up Queensgate to Crussh where I got a banana smoothie, went into multiple stores, and then did some food shopping in Marks & Spencer (I got the best breads, natural gummies, chicken, potatoes, etc.) Finally, I returned to Manson Place to attempt writing my portfolio.
Then, I walked up Queensgate to Crussh where I got a banana smoothie, went into multiple stores, and then did some food shopping in Marks & Spencer (I got the best breads, natural gummies, chicken, potatoes, etc.) Finally, I returned to Manson Place to attempt writing my portfolio.
Easter with Brad :-)
When Brad first got in, we napped for about 5 hours. This was good because we had a long night planned ahead of us. We began the night by going to Wagamama's for some good Asian food. I got my usual chicken tama rice and coconut ice cream with mango sauce; Brad got noodles and ice cream too I think.
Then, we headed out of South Kensington for Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus to Ice Bar :-) We walked around the area and Regent Street for a while before going to Ice Bar, which was so cool (hehe). We wore these big silver capes and gloves. Our drinks were in ice glasses, mine was called something like Icy River and it was yellow and blue. They had a lot of cool London-ish ice sculptures like a tube map in the wall, a large telephone booth, etc. After 45 minutes of freezing, we finally left and went on a walk before heading back to South Ken.
The next morning, we began at Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and then walked down the Thames Path past the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Borough Market, London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. We walked through the City past Lloyd's of London, Leadenhall Market, and the Royal Exchange :-) to get lunch but the City was shut down for Easter weekend. After a full day of walking, we napped almost the entire evening and then stayed in at night.
On Saturday, we began at the London Eye. It took a while to wait in line and get tickets, but ultimately it was a good time. Since the day was clear, we could see a lot of the city. I got one of those little books that tells you what everything is, so I learned about some new places. The next exciting part of our day was Monty Python's Spamalot at the Palace Theatre. The show was hysterical, and I really enjoyed it. Everyone in the audience sang along to that song about being happy. I forget how it goes. After the show, we walked over to Trafalgar Square and through the gates and past St. James's Park to Buckingham Palace. We were exhausted at this point from all the walking again, so we went home to freshen up for the night.
We went out to Embankment for a comedy show that we had bought tickets for earlier in the day. It was really funny, and he really talked a lot with the audience. It was highly awkward at times, but still good, especially because he didn't specifically pick on us. The ticket came with free admission to Zoo Bar, so we went over to check it out but left after a few minutes.
On Sunday, we took a trip out to Greenwich to see the Prime Meridian. We also went into the National Maritime Museum while we were there, and the museum that the Prime Meridian goes through. We got to see the origin of the green laser that shoots out across the Thames River marking the line. It was really neat to stand on both sides of the world at once, and Brad and I also stood on opposite sides of each other. On the way back, we stopped in Canary Wharf for a few minutes to see the buildings. We relaxed the rest of the night, and the next morning woke up early to get Brad out to Heathrow. It was sad to see him go, but this marked a big milestone in the program because it was only one more month until I was home again.
Then, we headed out of South Kensington for Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus to Ice Bar :-) We walked around the area and Regent Street for a while before going to Ice Bar, which was so cool (hehe). We wore these big silver capes and gloves. Our drinks were in ice glasses, mine was called something like Icy River and it was yellow and blue. They had a lot of cool London-ish ice sculptures like a tube map in the wall, a large telephone booth, etc. After 45 minutes of freezing, we finally left and went on a walk before heading back to South Ken.
The next morning, we began at Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and then walked down the Thames Path past the London Eye, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Borough Market, London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. We walked through the City past Lloyd's of London, Leadenhall Market, and the Royal Exchange :-) to get lunch but the City was shut down for Easter weekend. After a full day of walking, we napped almost the entire evening and then stayed in at night.
On Saturday, we began at the London Eye. It took a while to wait in line and get tickets, but ultimately it was a good time. Since the day was clear, we could see a lot of the city. I got one of those little books that tells you what everything is, so I learned about some new places. The next exciting part of our day was Monty Python's Spamalot at the Palace Theatre. The show was hysterical, and I really enjoyed it. Everyone in the audience sang along to that song about being happy. I forget how it goes. After the show, we walked over to Trafalgar Square and through the gates and past St. James's Park to Buckingham Palace. We were exhausted at this point from all the walking again, so we went home to freshen up for the night.
We went out to Embankment for a comedy show that we had bought tickets for earlier in the day. It was really funny, and he really talked a lot with the audience. It was highly awkward at times, but still good, especially because he didn't specifically pick on us. The ticket came with free admission to Zoo Bar, so we went over to check it out but left after a few minutes.
On Sunday, we took a trip out to Greenwich to see the Prime Meridian. We also went into the National Maritime Museum while we were there, and the museum that the Prime Meridian goes through. We got to see the origin of the green laser that shoots out across the Thames River marking the line. It was really neat to stand on both sides of the world at once, and Brad and I also stood on opposite sides of each other. On the way back, we stopped in Canary Wharf for a few minutes to see the buildings. We relaxed the rest of the night, and the next morning woke up early to get Brad out to Heathrow. It was sad to see him go, but this marked a big milestone in the program because it was only one more month until I was home again.
Canterbury (Like the Tales!)
After visiting Leeds Castle, we went to the town of Canterbury. We went to the cathedral, ate lunch, walked around aimlessly, then found the Canterbury Tales wax museum and tour.
Here are some notes from BU... The main site is Canterbury Cathedral. This is the successor to the church St. Augustine built after the conversion to Christianity in 597. After the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170, the cathedral became the center of one of th emost important medieval pilgrimages in Europe. This is the basis for the stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales.
The town had a lot of cute shops and was bustling with tourists. We stopped at a place called Hotel Chocolat where they sell slabs of chocolate and truffles. I really like the wax museum a lot because it is completely automated and in sync with your headset, so you all listen in whatever language you need and the tour tells you when to go to the next room, the wax figures move around and tell the stories. It was a really neat experience, and I loved listening to the stories.
Here are some notes from BU... The main site is Canterbury Cathedral. This is the successor to the church St. Augustine built after the conversion to Christianity in 597. After the martyrdom of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170, the cathedral became the center of one of th emost important medieval pilgrimages in Europe. This is the basis for the stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales.
The town had a lot of cute shops and was bustling with tourists. We stopped at a place called Hotel Chocolat where they sell slabs of chocolate and truffles. I really like the wax museum a lot because it is completely automated and in sync with your headset, so you all listen in whatever language you need and the tour tells you when to go to the next room, the wax figures move around and tell the stories. It was a really neat experience, and I loved listening to the stories.
Leeds Castle
Sunday, April 1st, 2007
Leeds Castle was absolutely beautiful. The driveway winds through an enormous garden full of flowers, trees, peacocks and ducks. The inside of the castle wasn't as fancy as I expected, and it seemed like it fit into its original time period which is believed to be as early as 856-860. Here are some notes that BU gave us before we went..
Lord Conway once described Leeds Castle as "The Loveliest Castle in the World." Over a millennium old, this ancient palace is still regarded as one of the most beautiful and romantic in England.
It is on a 500-acre estate in southeast England. The original structure is vanished, but it was rebuilt in stone by the Normans and has since been home to six medieval Kings and Queens of England. Henry VIII, the mot famous of all owners, extended large sums in enlarging and beautifying the whole range of buildings.
You actually enter the castle through the cellar and come up a staircase to get into the main castle. We went into Queen Catherine's bedroom, widow of Henry V at the age of 21. After marrying in secret Owen Tudor, she gave birth to their son Edmund and through his son began the Tudor dynasty. She was the last queen to hold the property to Leeds Castle.
Leeds Castle was absolutely beautiful. The driveway winds through an enormous garden full of flowers, trees, peacocks and ducks. The inside of the castle wasn't as fancy as I expected, and it seemed like it fit into its original time period which is believed to be as early as 856-860. Here are some notes that BU gave us before we went..
Lord Conway once described Leeds Castle as "The Loveliest Castle in the World." Over a millennium old, this ancient palace is still regarded as one of the most beautiful and romantic in England.
It is on a 500-acre estate in southeast England. The original structure is vanished, but it was rebuilt in stone by the Normans and has since been home to six medieval Kings and Queens of England. Henry VIII, the mot famous of all owners, extended large sums in enlarging and beautifying the whole range of buildings.
You actually enter the castle through the cellar and come up a staircase to get into the main castle. We went into Queen Catherine's bedroom, widow of Henry V at the age of 21. After marrying in secret Owen Tudor, she gave birth to their son Edmund and through his son began the Tudor dynasty. She was the last queen to hold the property to Leeds Castle.
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